Thursday, October 31, 2019

Problems with Android phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problems with Android phones - Essay Example Various problems come with Android phones. One problem that needs immediate solution is forceclose, which is when an application running on Android phones stops abruptly. This is the root concept of this problem. It has problems with data storage and transmission. When the forceclose error is experienced, in most cases, data is lost. Therefore, it needs to be solved immediately. Various issues are being discussed in various forums. One of the forums that are commonly used and popular with many programmers is xda-developers.com. The stakeholders in this forum are the programmers of Android phones. The vision of the forum is to ensure that Android phones are popular and meet the client’s requirements. This forum is common with programming issues that are experienced with Android phones. Most problems that are raised in this forum need programming solutions. One common issue here is forceclose, and from the discussions, it seems to be a common problem that needs immediate solution. It is something that can affect the marketing of the product, and there is a need to work on it immediately. Another forum is that of Adnroidcentral.com. This forum deals with issues that can be solved. The common errors that are raised in this forum are those that can be solved without necessarily engaging programming procedures (Martin and Hoover). The xa-developers.com deals with programming issues. Most stakeholders are those that make use of Android phones in data collection. The data collection brings with it these problems. Android forums are mostly programmers who work on a freelance basis. They give solutions to the problems that are posted in the forum. The artifact analysis of the stakeholders is that the users of the forums give step-by-step solutions to the problems that are sent.  Most contributors also have programming skills that help them to solve the issues  (DoCoMo).  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

ICT Usage by the Eldery Essay Example for Free

ICT Usage by the Eldery Essay In this unit of my coursework I shall be writing about an elderly lady with special needs who is helped with the usage of ICT. The person that Im going to be writing about is Mrs Ann Reynolds, an 87 year old lady suffering from arthritis, she lives alone in her own house that she has being living in for over 40 years, it is located in central Harrow. Due to her suffering of arthritis mobility has being very difficult for her, moreover she increasingly has become deaf in the recent years, however this old bird is still mentally tip top and alert and enjoys listening to the radio, in particular the womens programs. Mrs Reynolds has two siblings and two twin granddaughterss aged 12, who currently live in Southampton Some of her Personal needs include the need to move around the house with ease, something that has become increasingly hard due to her condition of arthritis, also she has the need to control appliances and regulate the heating in her house, with old age comes the reduced ability of regulating the bodies temperature, meaning she has the need for constant heating, moreover she also has the need to feel safe in her house, due to recent brake in she has being scared with memories of the incident and has increasingly grown scared of the outside world trying to get in, furthermore she also has the need to do the shopping, cmon old she may be but she still has to eat, in addition she also has the need to receive her medical care. Socially she has the need to be able to keep in touch with friends and family. CCTV Camera and a TV Mrs Reynolds has a special CCTV camera fitted into her porch, which is connected to the her TV inside which is located inside her living room, this empowers Mrs Reynolds to see who is at her door furthermore she also has the ability to speak to them. The CCTV Camera helps meet Mrs Reynolds needs due to it allowing her to see what or who is outside her front door/porch, it also allows her to speak to them if necessary, this helps meet Mrs Reynolds needs because now she can see who is outside her porch without actually opening the door, this therefore gives Mrs Reynolds the convenience of knowing that she can remain safe and unharmed inside her house. This goes back to the time that she was attacked by a bogus caller, which left quite a scar on poor old Mrs Reynolds, via the usage of CCTV Mrs Reynolds now feels safe inside her house and she feels much more independent. Telecare Mrs Reynolds uses a simple technology called Telecare its enables and empowers her so that she lives more independently in the community. Telecare is the new name given to advanced community alarm services. Community alarms plug into telephones lines and come with a call button (pendant) which can be worn by an individual such as Mrs Reynolds. Furthermore using the call button she in now enabled to call for help from anywhere in the home or garden. How does Telecare work? The Telecare unit is fitted to Mrs Reynolds telephone point and main power supply along with some sensors. Telecare sensors can also monitor where she is in her home and can detect if; * She has stopped moving. * Or if she has fallen. * Whether she has gone outside. * Also when she is in bed or sitting in a chair inside her house. Moreover other sensors fitted in her house -smoke detector and extreme temperature detector in her kitchen. When the call button is pressed or one of the sensors is triggered, its base unit will raise an alert through the service users telephone line to a monitoring and Response centre. In case of an emergency, or when the operator cant contact her at home, the operator will contact a family member, a friends or a neighbour to have them quickly pop round and see if everything is alright and that Mrs Reynolds is safe and healthy. If the operator is unable to contact any of the following above, the operator will alert the emergency services. All together Telecare helps meet Mrs Reynoldss personal needs, due to it ensuring that she remains independent and safe in her house, without fear of any incidents happening, even if god-forbid something does happen, most likely someone will be round to help her in no time. All-in-one remote control Mrs Reynolds uses a universal remote control that enables her to access her TV, DVD, satellite receivers and CCTV that is located in her porch, the remote control is fairly large and very easy to function, it is also easily functioned and the buttons are big and bright so its is easy for Mrs Reynolds to use them, furthermore they are highly sensitive to touch and are colour coordinated for easier use. Moreover the all-in-one remote control helps Mrs Reynolds switch between her different functions, for example if she is watching her favourite soap on BBC1 and gets a door knock, she can switch from AV1 to AV2 using the universal remote control, which means she can switch from TV on AV1 to her CCTV camera on AV2, which in response permits her to see and possible speak to whom it may be at the door. Furthermore the large universal all-in-one remote control helps meet Mrs Reynolds personal needs, because of its large shape it is easy for Mrs Reynolds to hold it in her hand and she is unlikely to misplace and loose it, moreover the large touch sensitive buttons, make life easier for Mrs Reynolds allowing.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Gender Pay Gaps

The Gender Pay Gaps The U.K gender pay gap is nowadays one of the highest of Europe. Men earn 21, 1% more than woman, based on the average difference between gross hourly earnings (figure 1, statistics.gov.uk, 2009). Even if the pay gap between men and women has fallen quite dramatically over the past 30 years, the headline masks some less positive developments in recent years. UK is used to each generation of women making progress relative to the one before. But this process has slowed with the current generation doing only slightly better than the previous one. After several researches, the complexity of the topic arises; many factors and proofs demonstrate this inequality, thus leading to a high diversity of opinions. This gap varies according to the kind of work; in April 2009 hourly rates for men were  £12.97 for full-timers,  £7.71 for part-timers. For women, hourly rates were  £11.39 for full-timers,  £7.86 for part-timers (R. Barnett, Sky News, 2010). Between the private sector and the public sector, the gap is considerably changing. In 2008, in the private sector the pay gap was 21.7 % while in the public sector it was 13.8 % (The Times, 2008). Paradoxically, as point the Office of National Statistics in 2009, full-times 16-17 years-old females earned 12.6% more than males, on the other hand, part-times females earned 1.3% less than males. Thus, surveys underline real contradictions existing in the English system of payment. The goal of this essay is first to review the possible causes and origins of this inequality by analysing the political and socio-cultural values of United Kingdom relating the pay gap, and secondly show the measures that should and could be taken to fight it. The first part treats of the major discrimination facing females, the stereotyping of womens careers, perception of womens work, and how social roots act on todays women life. In the second part we talk first about the precedent government actions, then the actual actions and state of mind of UK, and the European precautions to fight the pay gap. 1- The reasons of this pay gap. Many causes can explain the pay gap existing in United Kingdom; recent researchers have pursued a number of hypotheses, sometimes exploiting unique features of specific data sets, in attempts to answer this question. The trade Union Congress (TUC) in its report of 2008 explained the UK actual pay gap in terms of 4 explanations. 36% of the pay gap could be explained by differences in lifetimes working patterns, 18 % is caused by labour market rigidities, 38% is caused by direct discrimination and individuals careers preferences, and 8% is caused by the fact that older women had power educational attainment. Discrimination is the most current argument used to explain the gender pay gap. Evidences from a range of sources indicate that recruitment and selection processes, and a substantial degree of job stereotyping, perpetuate an industry profile in which the men dominate the high-earning jobs and women the low-earning jobs. As point the Telegraph magazine the 5 September 2007, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) published a survey founding that mal managers were paid 12.2% more than females in 2007. It shows that with the same job, females are still pay much less than males. Another study published by the UK government called National Equality Panel, states that Women under the age of 44 are better qualified than their male counterparts but receive 21% lower wages. Another idea largely sustained by the professor J. Shackleton of the University of East London. He argue that the differences came down to individual lifestyle preferences (dailymail.co.uk, 2008)  « female graduates tend to choose subjects such as psychology or education, which lead to lower-earning careers, while few opt for maths or engineering, which are more likely to result in lucrative jobs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ » . This idea is supported by a survey of 2007 stating the womens top ten occupations (Table 1) Table 1: Womens top ten occupations, second quarter 200741 Standard Occupational Classification Total in employment (000s) 1 Sales Assistants and Retail Cashiers 1,094 2 Teaching Professionals 873 3 Healthcare Related Personal Services 801 4 Secretarial and Related Occupations 793 5 Childcare Related Personal Services 721 6 Administrative Occupations: Finance 600 7 Health Associate Professionals 586 8 Elementary Personal Service Occupations 567 9 Administrative Occupations: General 556 10 Elementary Cleaning Occupations 483 Total of these 10 occupations 7,074 Total women in employment 13,196 Source: TUC report 2008 The report points the fact that females are more likely to work in service occupations and males to management and skilled trades. Moreover this job segregation is accentuated by the fact that girls are steel stereotyped into careers they should pursue. The neoclassic way of thinking of the 1960s says that there are womens jobs and mans jobs and promotes the disproportionate success of patriarchy and male dominance. Women are only 22% of computing students and 15% of engineering students, and when it comes to the first employment therefore the choice is different, on the womens top 25 preferring graduate jobs, 12 are in the public and voluntary sectors, and in this case high pay is unusual. Moreover, women look for lower first salary than men expect, less likely to attempt to negotiate over pay, less likely to seek promotion and do not look for other jobs in pursuit of higher pay (The Sunday times, 2008). In an international comparison this high UK pay gap exists because a lot of women work. For example, Italy has a gender pay gap half the UKs one, but its overtaxed and overregulated create few opportunities for women to work. But its tending to change, as point C. Hakim in her book Work-lifestyle choices in the 21st century: preference theory (2000) The equal opportunities revolution means that the full range of occupations and activities become accessible to all women For several reasons, the womens work is under-valued. This undervaluation have two facets: females tend to be paid less than males for the same work, and the jobs that they do tend to attract lower wages then mens jobs. D. Grimshaw and J. Rubery of the Machester Business School have identified fives Vs involving to create lower pay. The Visibility, Large and undifferentiated pay and grading bands do not recognise womens skills that conceal different skills and experiences. The Valuation, it means that there is a tradition in the British culture for not giving a high value to womens skills. The Vocation, it determines that the skills of women are natural, which accentuate there low valuation. The Value added, tends to say that jobs of men are more likely to imply a higher value to a process. The Variance, for both employers and women themselves, part times work is often seen as synonymous with unskilled work Another cause of this gender pay gap is that it has been seen that women are more likely to work in part-time jobs. This is quite a big problem for womens pay, as point a survey done by the ONS in 2009, the average hourly wage for a full-time job was  £11.39 and  £7.86 for part-timers. In addition to a lower wage for the part-timers, women have more interruptions to their careers. A research for the Equalities Review found that three kinds of people have disadvantages in getting jobs, the disable people, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women and mothers (R. Berthoud, M. Blekesaune, 2007). A study of 2007 of seven industrial countries found that there were considerable negative effects on mothers wages. United Kingdom had the highest penalty, 8% for one child, 24% for two children and 31% for three children. As point previously, 53.6% of women worked in the top ten occupations in 2007, moreover the influences of gender-stereotyped early environment limited choices for girls at school. Whats more whatever industry or occupations women work for; men were earning more than women with graduations in the same subject. Some studies justify this pay gap because of the better productivity of men over women. First women would be more concern with childbearing, second there is the argument that women are less competitive and more-risk averse than men. As a result they select lower-paid occupations. (fazeer.wordpress.com, 2009) Politically talking, David Laws the Liberal Democrats families spokesman, said that the TUC reports proved the damage done by the Britains society in the 1980s by the Conservative Government Finally, gender pay gap is caused by many little factors contributing on their way to this inequality. While good progress had been made in several areas like childcare and the right to request flexible working, the women and work commission remained disappointed in the deficiency of progress. Mentalities are changing but the persistence of a significant gender pay gap (21.1%) in UK state not only impacts on womens life but also womens continuing experience of discrimination. To fight this phenomenon, national as international organizations such as the European commission or the Government Equality Office of England, plan to use a series of measures aiming to reduce significantly the pay gap. 2- How to fight the gender pay gap? Since the equal pay act of 1970 which aim to prohibit in terms of pay and conditions of employment, any less favorable treatment between men and women, criticized as it fails to address the gap between ethnic minorities, a lot of things have changed. In 1997, the Single Status was intended in order to establish whether jobs were of equal value, and to delete the need for equal pay claims bring in a pay model. Another regulation was bringing to the equal pay amendment in 2003. Nowadays several actions are implemented at the national level as European to deliver real results. The making up 40 years later is not positive; it lacks a requirement for transparent reporting. Several institutions start making pressure on the English government. The Women and Work Commission accuses the government for not having encouraged girls to choose non-traditional jobs and look for the promotion of qualifies flexible and part-time work. (Dailymail reporter, 2009). Several progresses have been done on the public sector, in 2007, in the form of the public sector duties, England welcomed a new generation of equality legislation. The duty tiled the way for greater transparency across the sector, and moved the onus onto public sector employers to address and identify pay inequalities within its workforce. (R. Lewis, S. Smee, 2009). In 2008, the public sector had a pay gap of 13.8 %, the private sector 21.7 % (The Times, 2008). The Equal Opportunities Commission has developed a five step model to be used by company to avoid inequalities. A full pay audits provide a measurement of pay but also they ensure that employer takes action to remove any injustice. The first step decides the scope of equal pay review and identify data required, the second step identify where males and females do the equal work. The step three to identify any pay gaps consists in collecting pay data. In case of gap found the step four establish the causes of pay gaps. The step five consists in developing an equal action plan, reviews and monitors. Today this action plan is already performed by several employers. (R. |Lewis 2009). The government now have to work with the private sector in particular to develop guidance for managers on how to use flexible working in order to bring benefit to their business and employees. The UK government now knows the imperative for raised transparency around pay system, the GEO (Government Equalities Office) in its business plan 2009/10 outlines several reforms and objectives promoting transparency and equality. Among those, develop the cooperation with organisms such as the EHRC (European Human Right Commission) and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) is a priority to better palliate to the pay gap problem. Introduce a new power in the Equality bill to request large private sector employers to report on their gender pay gap if there is no progress made on voluntary reporting by 2013. However, overture within the bill contain a power to require private sector employers with at least 250 employees to report the gender pay gap. That is to say that over 4, 7 millions businesses in UK, approximately 6,000 organisations have over 250 employees, which is quite unlikely to have a significant impact. Looking abroad, France and Sweden inspire good pay equity framework. They have adopted in 2001 compulsory pay legislation. Organisations with 50 or more employees are required to negotiate agreement son equality at work and submit an annual report including information on pay range, number of women in highest paid position, and average monthly pay (R. Lewis, S. Smee, 2009). In order to force European governments to tackle the gender pay gap, the European parliament takes resolutions. In its report of the 10 February 2010, by managing the governments initiative, the social partner initiatives and good practices initiatives, the gender pay gap would progressively disappear. Thus the European commission will put forward a new EU strategy for gender equality for 2010-2015, augmenting sanctions, furnish pay transparency and regular reporting on the pay gap. The commission will also elevate the awareness among employee and employers, encourage the equality at the workplace with equality label awards and charters. In France, in 2004 the label à ©galità © professionel has been created, thus companies can obtain it if they follow a special procedure. Whats more the commission assists the development of tools to help employers understand gender pay gap within their organisation. Germany developed software calculating the wage gap helping employers become aware of the situation. The last objective is to improve the supply and quality of the statistics on the pay gap (europa.eu, 2010) Finally, solutions are multiples to tackle the UK pay gap, organisations and administrations just have to apply the actual and future reforms, the European commission is conducting a study on initiatives, the result will be presented on 5 may 2010. Conclusion This pay gap raises the debate above the nature versus nurture. That is to say, should the UK society take of the individuals innate qualities to fix a wage? The answer is probably much more complex than the previous essay. As seen previously, the causes are multiple and controversy, as old is the debate, mentalities first have to change to completely remove this inequality. As point the surveys and studies of the TUC organisation and the WWC, this discrimination is far to be over. Local and international organizations are mobilizing to close it. United Kingdom will have to take example of others countries experience for remove the pay gap. Finally, only a few initiatives have been done to target female choice of profession, career ad sector. Raising awareness and promoting sectors and professions could help to undertake the root of this problem; UK does not need to reside in a vicious circle.

Friday, October 25, 2019

In the Post-modern World, Truth is Only an Opinion :: essays research papers fc

To explain the impacts of postmodernism, we have to understand the very composite nature of postmodernism, which is a relatively new all encompassing philosophy and one that reputedly lacks a historiography. The nature of the title question is very philosophical to which an equally philosophical answer could be given – why? However I am not so bold as to give that as the answer. I will therefore endeavour to simplify and qualify, what I consider are, related factors and, where applicable, their origins. Similarly, as the title requests, I will also tackle their relationship with the ‘what is history?’ debate (having first explained exactly what it is) to offer a conclusion as to the profundity of their impact. The debate that continues through modern day historians on exactly ‘what is history?’ was instigated by the writings of Collingwood, Elton and Carr, during the 20th century. It appears a very multifaceted issue and seldom does a historian writing about the ongoing debate fully agree with any of his cohorts in any of the intellectual disciplines. In the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘To write history we have to rewrite history’. Obviously, this always involves revision, which encompasses ‘our understanding of the past and our sense of the persistence of the past into the present.’ (1) Once again, it is a complex issue to address as each individual may offer a different perspective, on their view of past histories due to personal circumstance and ideology, which subsequently ‘emphasises the connections between different fields of human endeavour.’(2) There is commonly a distinction between history and sociology in as much as history commonly refers to study of past events and human affairs, while sociology may be defined as ‘the study of human society, with an emphasis on generalisations about its structure and development.’(3) Rather than to get engaged in the parochial debate between how history and sociology differ, it is much easier to accept that they compliment each other. In fact there are a number of intellectual disciplines (including social anthropology, geography, politics and economics, to name but a few), which are all complimentary to the writing of history. Clearly the more recent the event, the more likely we will have more evidence as contemporary sources whether they be oral accounts, manuscripts, diaries and so forth have had less time to withstand the destructive processes, experienced by many other similar sources, throughout the passage of time. However, this is not to dismiss findings from archaeological digs, as with the help from modern technology it is believed we can interpret quite accurately dates, scenes and lifestyles of societies from long past epochs.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Do Genes Determine Character Traits

â€Å"Character Traits Determined Genetically? Genes May Hold the Key to a Life of Success, Study Suggests. † I: Introduction Do genes distinguish our personality traits or is it simply environment, and upbringing that makes us who we are? Psychologists at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that genes may play a greater role in forming character traits than they were thought to before. Things such as self-control, decision-making or sociability could be more nature than nurture. II: BackgroundThe debate of Nature vs. Nurture has been a widely argued topic among psychologists for more than a century. Both opinions of the nature vs. nurture debate have been examined among researchers and a great amount of research has been found, just no clear conclusions of whether it is one or the other. We have always thought of genes distinguishing your physical features such as eye color, hair color, height, etc. , but can genes play more of a role in your personality than scientis ts thought? III: ExperimentIn this study, more than 800 sets of twins, mostly age 50 and over were tested by a method of asking a series of questions to see how they viewed themselves and others. The questions that were asked included questions like â€Å"Are you influenced by people with strong opinions? † and â€Å"Are you disappointed about your achievements in life? † The answers to these questions were then compared with the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale. This scale is a Self-perceived quality-of-life scale that is used as a psychological assessment instrument.It is based on a comprehensive theory of the Self-Perceived Quality of Life and provides a multi-faceted measurement of health-related and non-health-related aspects of well-being. The psychologists found that genetics were more influential in shaping key traits than a person's home environment and surroundings. They also found through this study that genes affected a person's sense of purpose, how wel l they get along with people and their ability to continue learning and developing through out their own lives.The research team for this study found that the identical twins who’s DNA was exactly the same were more likely to share traits compared with non-identical twins. These findings are significant because, the stronger the genetic link, the more common it is that these character traits are carried through a family. These results also can make a link of epigenetics and the influence epigenetics have on generations. IV: Reflection Nature vs. nurture and the study of genes has been the one topic that has most interested me throughout this class.I find genes and epigenetics fascinating; therefore I chose to do my paper on this particular topic. This article expresses many aspects of genes and DNA that we went over not only in lab but in lecture as well. Environment plays a key role in the way we personally grow and develop, but genes and epigenetics carry a large part as we ll. People don’t always realize that genes can cause personality. We have always been taught that genes distinguish things like hair and eye color, and I feel this article shows that genetics is important in all aspects of â€Å"creating† an individual.V: Sources University of Edinburgh (2012, May 16). Character traits determined genetically? Genes may hold the key to a life of success, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2012/05/120516115903. htm The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being by Tricia A. Seifert, University of Iowa http://www. liberalarts. wabash. edu/ryff-scales/ Nature Nurture in Psychology by Saul McLeod published 2007 * http://www. simplypsychology. org/naturevsnurture. html

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Cal Thomas

Critical Review: Cal Thomas & Ed Dobson â€Å"Blinded by Night† I found the article by Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson to be the most upfront and honest piece of work that I have read from the religious right in this class. When compared to the article written by Falwell I find this article to be better written with less political and religious spin. I find the article so effective in part because of the way it was composed. They gave you the view of the Moral Majority in 1980. It was an organization bursting with excitement, enthusiasm, and expectations. With the election of President Reagan the sky was supposed to be the limit for the moral majority. It was supposed to be only a matter of time before the country under went massive changes for the better. Fast forward twenty years and you see that very little of what the moral majority intended to accomplish was ever achieved. The authors hold the belief that top down activism cannot and will not work. This is a different point of view than most religious conservatives hold. In this respect I find that they are ahead of their counterparts such as Falwell in recognizing the mistakes that were made in the past. Instead they say that you must begin by fixing things from the bottom and working your way up. This article held more weight with me because the authors acknowledged the inefficiencies that existed in the moral majority and continue to exist in organizations such as the Christian Coalition. For members of the moral majority it was a sad reality that when they said, â€Å"With a few pen strokes, Bill Clinton erased the little Moral Majority had been able to achieve during its brief existence.† I believe the overriding argument being made throughout the article is best summed up in the last line, â€Å"The tragedy was not the failure to succeed, but the waste of spiritual energy that would have been better spent on strategies and methods more likely to succeed than the ... Free Essays on Cal Thomas Free Essays on Cal Thomas Critical Review: Cal Thomas & Ed Dobson â€Å"Blinded by Night† I found the article by Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson to be the most upfront and honest piece of work that I have read from the religious right in this class. When compared to the article written by Falwell I find this article to be better written with less political and religious spin. I find the article so effective in part because of the way it was composed. They gave you the view of the Moral Majority in 1980. It was an organization bursting with excitement, enthusiasm, and expectations. With the election of President Reagan the sky was supposed to be the limit for the moral majority. It was supposed to be only a matter of time before the country under went massive changes for the better. Fast forward twenty years and you see that very little of what the moral majority intended to accomplish was ever achieved. The authors hold the belief that top down activism cannot and will not work. This is a different point of view than most religious conservatives hold. In this respect I find that they are ahead of their counterparts such as Falwell in recognizing the mistakes that were made in the past. Instead they say that you must begin by fixing things from the bottom and working your way up. This article held more weight with me because the authors acknowledged the inefficiencies that existed in the moral majority and continue to exist in organizations such as the Christian Coalition. For members of the moral majority it was a sad reality that when they said, â€Å"With a few pen strokes, Bill Clinton erased the little Moral Majority had been able to achieve during its brief existence.† I believe the overriding argument being made throughout the article is best summed up in the last line, â€Å"The tragedy was not the failure to succeed, but the waste of spiritual energy that would have been better spent on strategies and methods more likely to succeed than the ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Philosophy of Education Examples for Elementary Teachers

Philosophy of Education Examples for Elementary Teachers A philosophy of education statement, sometimes called a teaching statement, should be a staple in every teachers portfolio. For elementary school teachers, the statement is an opportunity to define what teaching means to you and allows you to describe how and why you teach as you do at the early stages of learning. The following tips and philosophy of education examples for elementary teachers can help you write an essay that youll be proud to have. A philosophy of education statement is an opportunity to define what teaching means to you, and to describe how and why you teach as you do. Articulating this statement in the first person and using a traditional essay format (introduction, body, conclusion) will help you craft an enduring and inspiring personal statement. Structure of a Teaching Philosophy Unlike other kinds of writing, educational statements are frequently written in the first person because these are personal essays on your chosen profession. In general, they should be one to two pages long, though they can be longer if youve had an extensive career. Like other essays, a good educational philosophy should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Here is a sample structure. Introduction Use this paragraph to describe your views on teaching in a general sense. State your thesis (for example, My philosophy of education is that every child should have the right to learn and get a quality education.) and discuss your ideals. Be brief; youll use the following paragraphs to explain the details. Think about aspects of early education that are unique to elementary teachers, and introduce these ideals into your writing. Body Use the following three to five paragraphs (or more, if needed) to elaborate on your introductory statement. For example, you could discuss the ideal elementary classroom environment and how it makes you a better teacher, addresses student needs, and facilitates parent/child interactions. Build on these ideals in the following paragraphs by discussing how you keep your classes aware and engaged, how  you facilitate age-appropriate learning,  and how you  involve students in  the assessment process. Whatever your approach, remember to focus on what you value most as an educator and to cite examples of how youve put these ​​ideals  into practice. Conclusion Go beyond simply restating your educational philosophy in your closing. Instead, talk about your goals as a teacher, how you have been able to meet them in the past, and how you can build on these to meet future challenges.   Philosophy of education documents for elementary teachers are very personal and unique to the individual. While some may have similarities, your own philosophy should focus on your personal approach to pedagogy and classroom management. Focus on what makes you unique as an educator, and how you wish to advance your career to further support elementary education. Writing Prompts As with any writing, take the time to outline your ideas before you begin. The following tips can help you craft your teaching philosophy statement: Brainstorm about  your educational philosophy and your  views of education, making notes on those principles you value most. This can help you articulate your philosophy as you organize your essay.Demonstrate how you have put your educational philosophy into practice in the classroom by citing specific examples and outcomes with students, parents, or fellow teachers and administrators.  Reflect on your experience over your career. Most likely, your teaching philosophy has changed over time. Reflect on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, and how you intend to meet them.Connect with others and talk to your peers in the field, as well as mentors. Ask them about how they crafted their essays and ask them to review yours once you complete it. Having people who know you and your teaching style well review your work can help you craft a truly representative statement.Review a few sample essays to help you as you begin writing your own. Career Advancement Applying for a brand new job isnt the only time you need an educational philosophy. If youre seeking a promotion or are applying for tenure, youll need to craft or update your educational philosophy statement. As time goes on, your approach to education and classroom management will likely evolve, and so will your beliefs. Updating your philosophy allows you to articulate your professional motivations and goals, as well as your approach to educating others so that observers can have a better sense of who you are, even without observing you in the classroom. Consider reviewing your philosophy every few years.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Air Pollution Affects Us More Than We Think Professor Ramos Blog

Air Pollution Affects Us More Than We Think Did you know that air pollution does not just affect our environment and health, but that it also affects us psychologically? When someone says air pollution people usually tend to think of factories putting chemicals in the air, forest fires, or old cars. What they do not think of is all the problems that come out of air pollutions. When getting to know about pollution it is important to know other countries who have gone through it such as china, the type of health problems that it causes, the psychological issue, and the solution.Since 1982 China has dealt with the problem of air pollution. A majority of the pollution in China comes from the four major cities Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai that have an air quality level of PM 2.5. PM stands for particulate matter which is the particles found in the air such as dust, dirt, smoke, chemicals, etc. PM 2.5 means that the particles in the air are 2.5 micrometers. Our bodies are able to breath in and exhale PM10 particles and we will be fine, but for PM2.5 it â€Å"is much more dangerous to our health as it can penetrate deep into our lungs and enter our bloodstream.† (Health and safety, 7). The air quality in China has gotten so bad that it has contributed to 1.6 million deaths in 2014. To help solve the air pollution, China has many air quality monitors that monitor on the ground daily. The monitors have found out that â€Å"a wide variety of factors may influence the PM2.5 level, which may be closely related to environmental and industrial factors, we focus on inferring statistical dependence and causal relations between four major cities in China based on the PM2.5 measurement data as observational evidence.† (Min Kim, 6). Due to the monitors they are not certain that it is the factories that are the main source causing the bad air quality, but they are working on making the chemicals coming out of factories better.The type of health issues that air pollution can cause are nausea, diffi culty in breathing, skin irritation, or even cancer. It could also cause health problems such as birth defects, serious developmental delays in children, and reduced activity of the immune system. What happens is that heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, dioxins, etc. goes into the nervous system and causes those types of problems. â€Å"Moreover, there exist several susceptibility factors such as age, nutritional status and predisposing conditions.† (Kampa, Castanas, 11). Memory and attention are another common health problem that comes from air pollution. A study of air pollution exposure during children’s first year at life found that it associates â€Å"with reduced psychomotor development, as well as with autism spectrum disorder, and impairment in cognitive development.† (Rivas, 4). How they did this study is they got a group of kids between the ages of seven through ten from Barcelona, Spain and New York, New York to take three tests. The ns of th is is that people feel like if they are in a more polluted area, they can lie a lot easier. That they could do things to benefit them more if the air quality and the environment is not that healthy because in a polluted place, they already see the earth going downhill and think that telling the truth is unethical. If the air quality gets any worse and people do start lying more because they feel like it a common/acceptable thing to do than the world could spin into mayhem and become a more deceiving world. â€Å"Air pollution may increase individuals consideration of and desire for behavioral outcomes, especially material ones, and lead them to transgress rules to reach such outcomes.† (Wu, 5). Air pollution can also raise people’s anxiety and depression. Gloomy skies tend to make some people feel sadder and have the feeling of being sluggish. While for anxiety air pollution can cause the person to feel uneasy and worried about the environment and nervous of what this will cause.To help solve the problem of air pollution one thing that commoners can contribute to is the type of cars a person has. To reduce the air quality and meet the legal limits a way to fix cars outtake on pollution is a new combustion processes for internal combustion engines. A new combustion that we are trying out is called the HCCI combustion. â€Å"The HCCI combustion process is a form of low temperature combustion [1] and has the advantages of lower emissions of NOx, compared to both compression ignition and spark ignition (SI) mode of operation, and at the same time of high efficiency (diesel like efficiency numbers).† (Vucetic, 2). A problem with the HCCI is the sensitivity to the intake air temperature. The intake of air can go up to 200 degrees Celsius; if the temperature goes any higher the exhaust will go out. There are still studies on it and making the engine better for cars, so that we can reduce the air pollution.It is important to acknowledge this probl em because it will not only affect our environment and make the world a gloomier and more polluted place, but that it will affect our health in a negative way causing things such as asthma, skin dieses, cancer, etc. It will also make the world a more chaotic place when it starts affecting our behaviors such as lying, depression, and anxiety. That’s why we need a plan of action, even something as small as fixing engines of our cars, so that we are not spreading chemicals around the world.Castanas, Elias. Kampa, Marilena. Science Direct. 10 June 2007. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.465.5144rep=rep1type=pdf Health and Safety in Shanghai. 2019. https://www.healthandsafetyinshanghai.com/china-air-quality.html Min Kim, Jong. PLOS ONE. 14 March 2019. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6sid=5c5a3c67-eab7-49da-b552-a2afd415fbf7%40pdc-v-sessmgr02 Rivas, Ioar. Environmental Health Perspectives. 9 May 2019. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10. 1289/EHP3169 Vucetic, Ante. Department of IC Engines and Transportation Systems. 15 March 2018. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4sid=efa52648-0080-49a6-b8b7-ce55591f86c6%40pdc-v-sessmgr01 Wu, Song. Wang, Tingbin. PLOS ONE. 29 April 2019. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5sid=a51dba5c-09a0-4156-8024-e411fd2c9654%40sessionmgr4007

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Diets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diets - Essay Example People with diseases such as diabetes need to refrain from eating a lot of carbohydrates. Rather, they should eat more whole grain, eat more poultry and fish and not red meat as well as reduce the amount of sugar they take in their body. They should refrain from eating or drinking food or drinks containing high levels of sodium (Chatham, 2012). Discuss Domino Effect (this is what I call this – this term is not in the text). How will not taking any measures versus taking action discussed for those items you discuss affect your health in the long term. Eating of fatty foods, less fruits and vegetables as well as increased amount of carbohydrates and sugar will lead to an increase in the calories in the body. It will also change the insulin and glucose level in the body leading to diabetes. This unhealthy eating and diet combined with the lack of exercise with increase fat in the blood vessels preventing the heart from pumping blood and this leads to cardiovascular diseases hence causing short life time. The domino effects comes in where the unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise cause the body not to function properly and the systems of the body like the cardiovascular system start crashing. If however the diet mentioned above is maintained combined with regular exercises, then long life is bound to be

Friday, October 18, 2019

Economics of Developing Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics of Developing Countries - Essay Example This strategy aims to increase the domestic production and reduce the dependency on foreign imports. Outward looking strategy Outward looking strategies are not just related to primary exports, but lay more importance on the trade of employment opportunities and other strategies which increases the level of income in the country. Trade expansion is to be used for economic growth and the generation of employment opportunities. b) India’s trade policies have changed rapidly since independence. Before independence India made imports for even those products which could be manufactured in India. But after independence there was a change in strategy and more emphasis is being laid on exports rather than imports. Today India has a strong trade policy and lays more emphasis on exports and follows the import substitute industrialization policy and restricts its imports. India now uses trade expansion as an instrument for economic growth and the generation of employment opportunities. I t has been effective in improving India’s economy especially developing the agricultural economy. The overall trade policy is good for Tamil Nadu as Tamil Nadu has increased its agricultural income. c) Both India and china have been successful in increasing their exports and reducing their dependence on imports. China has laid emphasis on the export of manufactured products, while India has laid much emphasis on the export of services. India’s exports are of capital and skill intensive products, while china’s exports are labor intensive goods. Both the countries have reduced their imports by the Import substitute industrialization strategy. Question 6: The article ‘Now we are seven billion’ states that Population growth has both positive and negative effects. Mr. Simon is of the opinion that prices would rise in real terms, when there is an increase in population. The article states that as the world economy boomed the population growth fell. Accord ing to the UN’s population division the world population will reach 7 billion as on 31st October 2011. According to Mr. Simon, the world’s rising population was not a problem since an increase in population is also related to an increased demand for investment. The author provides the example of China, where fertility is less and one child is the policy in the nation. The author states that china’s policy is a violation of rights. Encouraging smaller families is good for economic growth as it reduces the poverty in the country, but there are large families too. Although there is a basic view that rising population creates scarcity of resources, yet population is important for the economic growth of the country. The argument presented is that smaller families create economic growth. Smaller families create economic growth because smaller families’ means less poverty and each member of the family gets all the comforts of the life. Therefore this results in better economic growth of the country. The argument presented against is that when the population decreases then it reduces the growth of the economy, which again hampers the economic growth of the country. Thus population has both positive and negative effects. Question: V: DEEP in the South Atlantic, a huge business operation is under system that Brazil’s leaders say will turn their state into an oil power by the end of this decade. If the ambitious plans of the national oil

Wal-Mart Control Mechanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wal-Mart Control Mechanism - Essay Example This research allows for better organization of supply chain activities. Wal-Mart already relies on suppliers that keep prices low, to pass on the savings to its consumers. The price controls keep customers who enjoy the savings coming back to its stores. Through automated and streamlined supply chain processes, costs for delivering products to the store shelves are minimized. Such organizational strategy allows Wal-Mart to more easily introduce new locations globally. Wal-Mart leads many other organizations into the direction it wishes them to take. This is done by requiring suppliers to meet pricing and packaging demands. â€Å"Wal-Mart accounts for 28% of Dial's sales, 24% of Del Monte Foods' sales, and 23% of Clorox's sales† (Hwang, 2003). Along with demanding low prices from manufacturers, the retailer also helps video game and software developers determine the content for products. Such control measures not only allow Wal-Mart to sell products at the lowest possible pric es, but also allows for control of content and subject matter. More controversial is Wal-Mart’s control of wages and benefits to its employees. Wal-Mart is openly anti-union, which allows for more control in many employment practices. It routinely hires many older and second income workers, to avoid providing benefits. While such practices help to keep prices low for consumers, they create income disparities and a reliance on government social programs for many of its employees.

TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies - Essay Example The company’s capital market investment performance gives it more financial capital growth. This can allow Milaha to seek opportunities in non-maritime activities. The company’s standardization will save costs, allowing for better capital availability to diversify services to different industrial segments. Milaha is also introducing new innovations in fleet capability that allows for greater service provision including subsea maintenance and firefighting. With growth in capital produced by a strengthening investment portfolio, the company can seek contracts with major oil companies to provide maintenance to oil rigs. The corporate governance team is not fully equipped to understand how to structure a new diversified service business. This weakness, however, can be overcome by practicing benchmarking of other companies in these industry sectors that will build a best practice framework throughout the entire value chain. An existing focus on primarily the Maritime & Logistics business also requires changing mindsets of executives to decentralize the business to provide for more effective collaboration. Divestiture of under-performing assets (such as real estate holdings) could improve the cash position of the business. Standardizing will provide the firm with many cost advantages. Threats of new market entrants that could offer lower pricing will allow Milaha to compete more effectively if price-sensitivity impacts contract procurement. Competitive rivalry is a threat if an emerging competitor becomes a cost leader and economies of scale can be a market barrier if achieved effectively in standardization of processes. New market entrants could make Milaha lose market share. However, the governance board is not familiar with how to develop competitive marketing strategies to build preference for this company’s brand in key pillar divisions. This threat can be overcome by building a governance committee focused on competitor analyses to

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Pros & Cons of In-House Versus Outsourced R&D (Research & Essay

The Pros & Cons of In-House Versus Outsourced R&D (Research & Development) Activity for Technology Firms - Essay Example The first section takes into account the various purposes and definitions of outsourcing as an activity. The primary reasons are explored in detail as to its evolution and factors influencing its security impacts on businesses. The next section outlines the various security issues that may arise in the outsourcing business and its various implications to the business and customer confidence. The primary focus is on secure outsourcing which acts to the safety of businesses and retains the faith and confidence in their services. It acts as a great tool to foster harmonies relationships and ensure business continuity for gaining competitive advantage. The need for state-of-the-art IT solutions worked out and innovations implemented with small losses, outsourcing may be the only way out. It will save from the nightmare of retraining employees (or even hiring new ones) and/or paying for re-equipment (Kenneth, 2007). Information strategy for any organization is purely based on their requirements to manage business and envelope operations into a system which would in turn effectively manage their resources and yield not only profits in the long run but satisfaction to its employees and customers (Laudon, 2002). Rich human capital: Outsourced software vendors produce ‘A’ level business and technological graduates from its most prestigious institutes like Institutes of Management and Institute of Technology. They possess extremely high talent in terms of fundamental knowledge and high level of skills due to their immense strength of aptitude and quantitative ability. The human capital has capability to take up entrepreneurship and make a difference to their economy (Checkland, 2003). Cost efficiency: In Outsourced software vendors, the costs of living and spending habits are quite less and thus the monetary policies are favorable for development at low costs. It makes it favorable for companies to outsource

Comparing between two country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing between two country - Essay Example that was established by the founding fathers of these nations after independence, challenges of border conflicts between neighboring countries is still real. Kenya and Tanzania have suffered similarly from terrorist attacks on the record of a twin bomb in the capitals of these two nations that simultaneously occurred on 7th August 2008 at the embassies of the United States. Politically, Kenya and Tanzania have shared several similarities. It will historically be remembered that these two countries were both British Colonies and got independence in the 1960s. At the time of independence, Kenya and Tanzania had similar structures and organization of a unitary government and (Klugman, Neyapti and Stewart 46). Both countries share a commonality of the political history for remaining single party democracies until 1992 when multiparty democracy was adopted in both Kenya and Tanzania. Their struggles for sovereignty are known to have resulted in massive loss of lives. Today, Kenya and Tanzania are multiparty democracies with several political parties registered in both countries. Both nations are headed by a Head of State with Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the founding father in Kenya heading the country while his counterpart Jakaya Kikwete leading Tanzania. The political relations between the two nations have been stable since independence. Several changes in both countries have aimed at transforming governance although making varied achievements. However, Tanzania and Kenya have clearly manifest political differences. Firstly, through the many constitutional changes and amendments since independence, the political structures are substantially transformed. Kenya adopted and embraced a devolved system of governance while Tanzania embraces a unitary system of government (Martin 23). Under the decentralized governance in Kenya, the President is the Head of State while the Governors head the forty-seven counties. The famous constitutional change in Kenya in 2010 ushered in

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TWOS anaylsis for 2 companies - Essay Example The company’s capital market investment performance gives it more financial capital growth. This can allow Milaha to seek opportunities in non-maritime activities. The company’s standardization will save costs, allowing for better capital availability to diversify services to different industrial segments. Milaha is also introducing new innovations in fleet capability that allows for greater service provision including subsea maintenance and firefighting. With growth in capital produced by a strengthening investment portfolio, the company can seek contracts with major oil companies to provide maintenance to oil rigs. The corporate governance team is not fully equipped to understand how to structure a new diversified service business. This weakness, however, can be overcome by practicing benchmarking of other companies in these industry sectors that will build a best practice framework throughout the entire value chain. An existing focus on primarily the Maritime & Logistics business also requires changing mindsets of executives to decentralize the business to provide for more effective collaboration. Divestiture of under-performing assets (such as real estate holdings) could improve the cash position of the business. Standardizing will provide the firm with many cost advantages. Threats of new market entrants that could offer lower pricing will allow Milaha to compete more effectively if price-sensitivity impacts contract procurement. Competitive rivalry is a threat if an emerging competitor becomes a cost leader and economies of scale can be a market barrier if achieved effectively in standardization of processes. New market entrants could make Milaha lose market share. However, the governance board is not familiar with how to develop competitive marketing strategies to build preference for this company’s brand in key pillar divisions. This threat can be overcome by building a governance committee focused on competitor analyses to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Comparing between two country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing between two country - Essay Example that was established by the founding fathers of these nations after independence, challenges of border conflicts between neighboring countries is still real. Kenya and Tanzania have suffered similarly from terrorist attacks on the record of a twin bomb in the capitals of these two nations that simultaneously occurred on 7th August 2008 at the embassies of the United States. Politically, Kenya and Tanzania have shared several similarities. It will historically be remembered that these two countries were both British Colonies and got independence in the 1960s. At the time of independence, Kenya and Tanzania had similar structures and organization of a unitary government and (Klugman, Neyapti and Stewart 46). Both countries share a commonality of the political history for remaining single party democracies until 1992 when multiparty democracy was adopted in both Kenya and Tanzania. Their struggles for sovereignty are known to have resulted in massive loss of lives. Today, Kenya and Tanzania are multiparty democracies with several political parties registered in both countries. Both nations are headed by a Head of State with Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the founding father in Kenya heading the country while his counterpart Jakaya Kikwete leading Tanzania. The political relations between the two nations have been stable since independence. Several changes in both countries have aimed at transforming governance although making varied achievements. However, Tanzania and Kenya have clearly manifest political differences. Firstly, through the many constitutional changes and amendments since independence, the political structures are substantially transformed. Kenya adopted and embraced a devolved system of governance while Tanzania embraces a unitary system of government (Martin 23). Under the decentralized governance in Kenya, the President is the Head of State while the Governors head the forty-seven counties. The famous constitutional change in Kenya in 2010 ushered in

Investigating Resistance Essay Example for Free

Investigating Resistance Essay Resistance is a property of a substance that conducts electricity. Resistance opposes the flow of electricity through conductors and it depends on the PHYSICAL NATURE of the particular conductor. In this investigation I must investigate how one of these physical facts affects the resistance. I will split my investigation into four parts, I will firstly plan my investigation. This will allow me to explain how I will carry out my investigation and predict what I think will happen. The second part of my investigation will be the obtaining part. To complete this I must carry out my investigation and record the results. I will then be able to say if my prediction was correct. The third part will be analyzing the results I have made. This will allow me to draw conclusions. The fourth and final part will be evaluating my investigation, I will say if it could have been improved and if it worked as expected. APPARATUS I will need a Digital ammeter and a digital voltmeter because the readings given are a lot closer than with an analog one. I will need just over a meter of 0. 19mm thick nichrome, a meter stick, a power supply, some wires and two crocodile clips PLANNING I have been given a piece of wire called Nichrome, which has a thickness of 0.19mm. I will connect this into the circuit using crocodile clips, I will stretch the wire across a meter stick and connect one crocodile clip at 0cm and one at 10 cm, I will record a reading from both the ammeter and the voltmeter, I will then move the crocodile clip which is on 10cm to 20 cm and again take a reading from both the ammeter and the voltmeter before recording the results into a table. The variable for my experiment will be the length so to keep it a fair test I must use 10 cm jumps each time, use the same metal each time meaning it must be Nichrome of 0. 19mm. I will eventually have a full table of results ranging from 10cm to 100cm. PREDICTION I predict that as the length of the wire increases, the resistance will increase. I predict this will happen because Resistance is due to the atoms in the wire. The electric charges will collide with the atoms, slowing them down. If the wire is longer, then there are more atoms in the way of the charges so the resistance will increase. The resistance will depend directly on the number of atoms in the wire. I have indicated in the rough graph below on what I think will happen and what it will then look like on the graph. RESULTS Results below are first set recorded Length Of Wire Current Voltage Resistance CMSecond set will now be recorded before finding the eventual average Results below are Second set recorded Length of wire Current Voltage Resistance CM (A) (V) (Ohms) The table below shows the average of the results allowing me to plot the graph. It shows the average resistances Temperature Resistance results 1 Resistance results 2 Average Resistance CM (Ohms) (Ohms) (Ohms) . I will now go on to plot the graph before recording my conclusion. Conclusion After recording my results and plotting the graph I can say that my prediction was correct. This shows that resistance is greater the longer the wire is because there will be more atoms for the electrical charges to hit the atoms and get slowed down. From what my results say I am willing to predict that if I had a thicker piece of Nichrome say 0. 37mm thick then the resistance would be even greater because not only will the length give more resistance but now that it is thicker will mean there will be space for more atoms.

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Evolution of Quantity Surveying

The Evolution of Quantity Surveying Quantity implies amount, number, measure, extent, size, magnitude and mass. Surveyor denotes inspector, assessor, examiner, reviewer and evaluator. The name Quantity Surveyor was originally derived from the initial need for the profession; which is to prepare the Bill of Quantities from plans, describing the material, items of work and the quantities required. Builders also use the Bill of Quantities when submitting tenders in order to secure work. Currently, Quantity Surveyor functions involve numerous activities. It is these activities that far remove the profession from that of simple brick counting. With the changing environment, the quantity surveyor has evolved to satisfy the marketplace by filling the gaps across diverse industries, as is reflected in industry changes, title changes and education. Suitable titles have now become necessary, namely those of Construction Cost Consultants, Building or Construction Economists, Cost Engineers and Commercial Managers. The cluster sampling survey method was used, which involved pilot interviews and structured questionnaire surveys. Investigations were limited to the views expressed by both students of Quantity Surveying and professionals employed outside the traditional construction industry who were members of the South African Council of Quantity Surveyors, although the views of practitioners with no professional affiliations were also sought. Content analysis, descriptive statistics, multi-attribute techniques and rank correlation tests were used in the analysis of the research data. The Potential Outputs of this work in progress could include changes in courses at tertiary institutions or the introduction of new courses, a name change for Quantity Surveying as a Profession. 1. Introduction Historically, the three major employers of Quantity Surveyors were; professional Quantity Surveying firms (PQS), municipalities and government departments, as well as construction and civil engineering companies. Quantity Surveyors are increasingly employed across several industries, ranging from chemical e.g. Fluor, communications e.g. Telkom, electrical e.g. Eskom, oil refineries e.g. Sapref. What does this mean regarding the demand for the profession? This report will also strive to ascertain what they are doing there, how they are valued and so forth. The option of working in an industry of your choosing elevates the status of quantity surveying as a profession. This should be tantamount to greater job opportunities and employment security, further enhancing quantity surveying as a target profession. How does this impact on students career choice? Due to the range of services currently provided, the profession is becoming less reliant on construction, as it places more emphasis on finance, which enables greater involvement in other industries such as insurance, banking, law, and property management. 2. Literature Review 2.1. The Establishment of Quantity Surveying There is a shortage of qualified Quantity Surveyors with good employment opportunities in various industries (AIQS, 2010). Demand for qualified and experienced Quantity Surveyors has been high in recent years. Historically, this demand follows the fortunes of the building, construction and engineering industries.ÂÂ   When industry booms, so does the need for Quantity Surveyors. By the middle of the 20th century Quantity Surveying had evolved to a recognised profession in the construction industry (Ashworth and Willis, 1995). Quantity Surveying had developed into the traditional role of keeping accounts and controlling of construction costs for both the client and the builder. The prime role of the quantity surveyor pivots around the aspect of cost control of projects (Willis and Trench, 1999). From inception to completion necessitates a detailed knowledge of contractors prices, experience of the construction process and an ability to foresee the likely effect of economic trends. Quantity Surveyors are construction economists who fulfil varied and comprehensive duties to support cost-effective construction and property development projects (Ilias et al., 2010). The core competencies of Quantity Surveyors include determining project budgets, measuring project quantities, preparing contract documentation such as Bills of Quantities and cost control documents, administering contracts, and preparing final accounts. Despite being recognised as a professional discipline distinct from architecture and civil engineering since 1836, Quantity Surveyors are not immune to the threats and changes in their operating environment. Some parties in the construction industry have been critical about the quality of works and services provided by Quantity Surveyors. Some even question the importance of appointing Quantity Surveyors as project consultants. Because of these challenges, the profession needs to regroup and take stock of the whole situation so that they will not become extinct in the future, this includes all parties who have vested interest in the development of the profession, be it the students, educators and professionals. Every profession evolves in response to the ever-increasing changes in the global business environment (Marcel and Jasper, 2009). In order to remain relevant, globally competitive and successful, South African Quantity Surveyors need constantly to scan their business landscape to discern new directions and to adapt to imminent changes in their professional practice. This study aims to investigate the current areas of, and future directions in, quantity surveying practice in the South African construction industry; imminent opportunities and threats; and ways to proactively maximise the opportunities and minimise the threats. The results of a survey, based on a structured questionnaire reflecting 23 defined competencies, which were derived from the literature and from in-depth interviews with selected practitioners, indicated that technically orientated competencies were rated of highest importance for current services, while management orientated competencies were rated of higher importance for future services (Nkado and Meyer, 2001). Quantity Surveying firms that offer services overseas have more staff than non-exporters. They also handle larger projects and offer a wider range of services (Florence Yean and Chan, 2008). Recent practice, however, has gone back to the original intent of value engineering, i.e., to improve the value of the end product or service (McDuff, 2001). This typically means that the client is going to receive more for their money because of the practice of value engineering. 2.2. Current and Future Trends of Quantity Surveying Quantity Surveyors are also employed by large engineering companies as well as housing agencies (AGCAS, 1994). Specialist home builders seek the expertise of Quantity Surveyors, as do some trading agencies, including any public committees who control extensive property investments. Multinational mechanical contractors and energy conglomerates regularly employ Quantity Surveyors under the unconventional title of Cost Engineer. The University of Salford is offering post graduate Electrical Quantity Surveying courses, Mechanical Quantity Surveying courses and Electrical Mechanical Quantity Surveying courses (Salford, 2011). These courses are accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The MSc Quantity Surveying in Mechanical Electrical programme is aimed at the mechanical and electrical sectors. Due to the increased importance on low carbon emissions and sustainability in the modern built environment, new roles are emerging for the Mechanical Electrical Quantity Surveyor in the areas of renewable energy, sustainability, low carbon technologies and energy management involved in the provision of careers and employability. With buildings accounting for around 50% of all carbon emissions, the Quantity Surveyor plays a significant role in combating climate change. The need for Quantity Surveyors is relatively consistent (AIQS, 2010). The range of services provided by the profession has become less dependent on the level of construction but more on finance and property management. Quantity Surveyors are known by various names, as they are also called Construction Cost Consultants, Building / Construction Economists, Cost Engineers and Estimators. The Quantity Surveying profession is at an interesting stage, where opportunities and rewards will be high for those who are innovative, keen on research and willing to embrace the challenges of the future and emerging technology. A description of the quantity surveying profession states that, Quantity Surveyors get a lot more involved in all aspects of construction as well as other industries such as insurance, banking, law etc. (University, 2010). An article in a career recruitment company further speaks of a Chartered Quantity Surveyor working as a Commercial Manager (Kempthorne, 2010). As a job description for a Quantity Surveying role, it was stipulated that market need creates evolved Quantity Surveyors (Construction, 2011). Quantity Surveyors meet the ever evolving needs of their clients, offering a vast range of services as depicted in the following website article (Brown, 2010). Today several Quantity Surveyors have explored opportunities out of the boundaries of construction industry, examples being the financial industry, insurance industry, manufacturing industry and real estate sector. (NISA et al., 2006). As emphasised, being one of the key professional experts in the construction sector, Quantity Surveyors have the utmost responsibility to address the key cost, financial and contractual issues of the construction process, which is always highly influenced by the environmental parameters, which are very sensitive to changes and are unique for every project (Senaratne and Sabesan, 2008). The new approaches in construction culture, procurement strategies, changing markets, delivering added value and supply chain management, partnering, private finance initiatives have directed the construction industry towards a new route of evolvement (Cartlidge, 2002). The importance of this is further emphasised due to the declining role of manufacturing and increasing growth in the service sector of the economy. In order to subsist and grow in the future, Quantity Surveying profession has the utmost necessity to respond to the accelerating social, technological, economical and environmental changes quickly as well as productively (Surveyors, 1992). Since the needs and expectations of the clients are ever changing facts, in order to compete and to excel in the profession, Quantity Surveyors have to acquire and operate wide range of diverse skills outside the normal traditional Quantity Surveying role (Pathirage and Amaratunga, 2006). The changing nature of the construction and development industry such as the adoption of innovative technological processes and development, the emergence of highly focused professionals and the full range of advanced technologies will necessitate a much stronger emphasis on job competencies than ever before (Lenard, 2000). The findings are important given the increasing globalization of construction services, especially given the international ties between designers, Quantity Surveyors and other built environment professionals (Bowen et al., 2010). 3. Research Methodology Qualitative: In order to achieve results, use of pilot interviews and cluster sampling questionnaire surveys will be employed. With regards to the analysis of research data, content analysis, descriptive statistics, multi-attribute techniques and rank correlation tests will be used. Providing Supporting evidence industry happenings Developing Questionnaires industry awareness / feedback Researching written material on industry patterns. 4. Findings and Discussions Potential Outputs include: Changes in courses or and introduction of new courses at tertiary institutions. A growth in Quantity Surveying to include specialisation in other industries e.g. MSc/ Pg Dip-Quantity Surveying Mechanical Electrical) aimed specifically at the mechanical and electrical industries. There is a potential of offering further courses at tertiary institutions, namely petrochemical, banking, insurance, law, and so forth. 5. Conclusions and Further Research A Profession name change might also be in order. If in fact there are many other industries employing Quantity Surveyors, this spells good news for the profession. A knock on effect would be an increase in the number of students applying to study Quantity Surveying as a career, as it moves away from the traditional construction approach. Throughput rates will also be affected, as a greater number of students could have access to in-service training earlier. For the long term, course material/notes might change/adapt to suit the various sectors, as each, having subtle differences in approaches would need the necessary curriculum and syllabus changes. The Quantity Surveying profession is at an interesting stage, where opportunities and rewards will be high for those who are innovative, keen on research and willing to embrace the challenges of the future and emerging technology.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Geographically Based Multicultural Education :: social issues

Geographically Based Multicultural Education Many Whites in the United States have a strong sense of ethnic identity that is tied to their immigrant ancestors’ country of origin (Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Swedish Americans) or to their experience in this country (New England Yankees, Midwestern Hoosiers, Appalachians, and so on). There are many subgroups within the White experience, but ...[m]any United States Whites with a strong sense of ethnic identity do not have a strong sense of racial identity. Indeed, ...many Whites take their Whiteness for granted to the extent that they do not consciously think about it. Nevertheless, their identity as members of the White group in the United States has a profound impact on their lives. "White Racial Identity Development in the United States" by Rita Hardiman in Race, Ethnicity, and Self: Identity in Multicultural Perspective, edited by Elizabeth Pathy Salett and Diane R. Koslow (Washington, DC: NMCI Publications, 1994). Among the challenges that face all Americans is to explore race and to educate their children about its impact in society. America is the "melting pot" of society and the most diverse nation in the world. Making it seem from the media that flashes pictures upon our retinas almost everyday. In reality, we live our lives in increasingly homogenized communities composed of single races. Many people never learn or are taught the difference that divide and bring us together. There needs to be a change in the way history is shown to children in America, including whom is a part of it and how it is taught. We need to create an environment that promotes a geographically based multicultural education. In school our children have been historically educated and taught history, epitomized by the glorification, or at least passing reference to Christopher Columbus’ atrocities in the Americas. There is no conspiracy to neglect others views and the hardships of history. Rather the European dominance that forms the basis for the general American culture manifests itself in skewed views of history. The dominate societal segment always writes the text, but the problem now is that, white America, no longer controls the culture as much as it did. As other populations of people grow, their side of history is added to the texts. This change in education started back in the thirties as "white" students examined their cultural heritage. As the non-Anglo Saxon population of whites came into power and position, they also wanted their heritages to be explained and glorified.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Life is Not a Video Game Essay examples -- Gaming

Video games are probably the most asked for present when a child sits on Santa Claus’ lap at Christmas time. They are, in all probability, what kids ask for when they make a wish while blowing out the candles on their birthday cake. The latest installment in the Call of Duty video game franchise, Modern Warfare 3, reached record sales of $775,000,000 in five days (Tito). At sixty dollars each, that means that this game is present in approximately 12,750,000 homes worldwide. Although the gaming industry is a lucrative one, it can also have adverse effects on children and adolescents. Scientific studies, done by researchers and psychologists around the world, show that violent video games can be detrimental in both children and adolescents, modifying brain function, causing overly aggressive behavior, feelings of hostility, paranoia, violence, and childhood obesity. Youth education also suffers because of video game addiction and lack of sleep. Some solutions need to be thought out and enacted for the physical and mental health of children and adolescents worldwide. Patrice Wendling, author of â€Å"Violent Videos Alter Brain Functioning, Study Shows†, states, â€Å"Adolescents who play violent video games demonstrate distinct alterations in brain activation on functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); investigators have shown for the first time† (Wendling 1). In these studies, it was proven that video games which are violent in nature activate a different part of the brain than other types. This part of the brain, the amygdale, controls emotional arousal. The teenagers had less activity in the frontal lobe, which controls inhibition, self control, and concentration. Therefore, these types of video games can cause behaviors in children an... ...dentary Behaviors Associated with Less Physical Activity; a Cross National Investigation.† The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 7 (2010): 46. Academic One File. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. Kim, Yoon Myung, and SoJung Lee. â€Å"Physical Activity and Abdominal Obesity in Youth.† Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 34.4 (2009): 571+. Academic One File. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. Lorentzen, Amy. â€Å"Video Violence—Psychologist Advises Parents to be Aware of What Their Kids Are Playing.† Commercial Appeal [Memphis] 24 Aug. 2006. NewsBank. Web. 14 Nov. 2011 Tito, Greg. â€Å"Modern Warfare 3 Breaks Every Sales Record Known to Man.† The Escapist. The Escapist. 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. Wendling, Patrice. â€Å"Violent Videos Alter Brain Functioning, Study Shows.† Internal Medicine News 40.3 (2007): 20. Academic One File. Web. 14 Nov. 2011

Friday, October 11, 2019

JetBlue Airways Corporation Essay

JetBlue Airways Corporation was formed in August 1998 as a low-fare, low-cost but high service passenger airline serving select United States market. JetBlue’s operations strategy was designed to achieve a low cost, whilst offering customers a pleasing and differentiated flying experience. JetBlue has had a successful business model and strong financial results during that period, and performed well in comparison to other airline companies in the US during the period between 2000 and 2003. It had been the only other airline apart from Southwest airlines, to have been profitable during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Center, and at a time when the entire airline industry was experiencing losses. The core of JetBlue’s strategy was low operating cost achieved through a smaller and more productive workforce; utilizing aircraft efficiently; better use of technology to achieve lower distribution cost i.e. use of electronic ticket as against paper ticket; use of brand new single model planes that reduced maintenance costs and training costs at the same time. However, moving into the growth phase, JetBlue was contemplating expansion with the introduction of a new model of planes, i.e. Embraer E190, that are smaller than the A320s that they were using. These planes were to be utilized for penetrating mid-size cities and also during off-peak times on existing routes. The company defined these markets as destination with 100 to 600 local passengers per day each way, compared to the much larger markets that the company was serving with its A320s. This had potential implications for its low-cost strategy. Jetblue’s expansion required investments in areas other than just new aircraft. Owen needed to decide how to raise additional capital to fund the  company’s growth. Investment bankers had presented two financing proposals; a new public equity offering and a private placement of convertible debentures. Own needed to decide which proposal, if any, to recommend to the board. QUESTION 1 PART A In early 2003, JetBlue continue to see opportunity to grow by adding both new market and new flight to existing destination. One of such new market where the company believed there was attractive opportunity was the mid-sized market segment which comprised of destinations with 100 – 600 local passengers per day each way. To accommodate this growth, the company is seeking to purchase 65 new Airbus A320, with an option to buy additional 50 new aircraft, and also committed to purchase 100 Embraer E190 aircraft, with the option to purchase 100 additional ones. Jetblue had embarked on a $6.8 billion plane acquisition program that would increase its aircraft fleet from 45 to 252, including existing aircraft purchase commitment. The company needs thus to think about a way to finance those acquisitions, as well as other needed investments such as spare parts, new engines, additional hangars and a flight training centre JOHN OWEN THE CFO OF JETBLUE IS TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH OF TWO FINANCING PROPOSALS (NEW PUBLIC EQUITY OFFERING AND A PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE) TO PURSUE. A straight equity issue will dilute his principal shareholders’ ownership, but favored a conservative capital structure that would help to ensure JetBlue’s financial flexibility, access to capital and a favorable lending rate. On the other hand, a convertible debt alternative seems less dilutive, and cheaper, but brings with it an increased risk of default and financial problems. PART B The financing decision taken by the CFO is important because of the positive impact it is expected to have on the current and future performance of the JetBlue. The considerations as regards impact of the financing decision are discussed; IMPACT ON CURRENT PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY It is expected that the new capital would ease Jetblue’s ability to finance its short term obligations as JetBlue does not have a line of credit, or short-term borrowing facility. Therefore, the company depends on its operating cash flow to finance its short-term obligations The new capital will be required to finance working capital requirement of Jetblue, Working capital is the short term resources that are used to manage the business on a daily basis. This is otherwise referred to as current asset. The financing decision which is aimed at securing the purchase of the new 100-seat Embraer E190 aircraft would allow JetBlue to enter smaller markets while maintaining low operating costs, and increase flight frequency on existing routes. The low fares offered by JetBlue would allow it to attract new passengers who might otherwise not fly. Earnings from this market segment is expected to contribute to the profitability and positive financial performance of the company IMPACT ON FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY The additional capital is expected to strengthen the company’s balance sheet at a time when JetBlue will be shouldering a significant amount of debt related to new aircraft deliveries. The decision on financing method would result in a strong capital structure for Jetblue which would ensure that the company would continue to grow while avoiding financial problems. The new cash inflow which is directed at ensuring JetBlue achieves its expansion activities. It is expected that the company will be in a position to purchase larger volumes of jet fuel and would thus have more leverage in procuring fuel than today. The company will thus suffer relatively less from fuel shortages and the negative impact a rise in fuel has an operating income QUESTION 2 PART A John Owen the CFO of JetBlue generally favored a conservative capital structure. A conservative funding strategy is when a firm finances both its seasonal and permanent requirement with long term debt. The criteria which John Owen used to evaluate his decision on the appropriate capital structure and mode of financing to support the expansion drive of the business are; FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY: This refers to the firm’s ability to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities or their ability to deal with expected events depending on the firm’s financial policies and financial structure. A firm with a high debt obligation and weak solvency and liquidity is not financially flexible. FAVORABLE LENDING RATE: The lending rate to a business varies directly with the risk associated with any given financial structure which can be accessed by leverage analysis. It is expected that a higher leverage (as a result of accepting debt offering) tends to amplify a firm’s predictable business swings i.e. associated risk. This inclines to increase lending rate to the firm and ultimately result in an unfavorable lending rate. CONTROL: The financing scheme of a company can imply changes in control constrains on the firm, this can be indicated by percentage distribution of share ownership and structure of debt covenant. There is a high chance that the board of directors will not favor the equity offering as they were  sensitive about the dilution (i.e. control dilution) that an equity offering would cause to existing shareholders. INCOME: This compares financing tactics on the basis of their effect on value creation and distribution i.e. the impact on Earnings per share (EPS) and Return on equity (ROE). The debt option limited the ability of Jetblue to manage one of the airline’s principal risk; rising fuel prices. As discussed above, the debt offering afforded Jetblue less financial flexibility. If fuel prices rose unexpectedly, operating income will decline thus hurting JetBlue’s ability to meet the additional debt service payments. PART B Other criteria John Owen could use to evaluate his decision on the appropriate capital structure and mode of financing are; Timing: This considers whether the current capital market environment is the right time to implement any alternative financial structure and what the implication for future financing will be if the proposed structure is adopted. Financial market condition often favour one or another kind of financing. Others: This is the consideration of the impact of the alternative financing choice on other issues and vice versa. An example is the ability to use collateral to reduce the costs and risk of debt financing and the effect of various financing tactics on the liquidity of investment. REASONS WHY JOHN OWEN SHOULD PROPOSE THE EQUITY FINANCING OPTION From the above analysis, it can be deduced that using equity financing option minimizes the company’s weighted average cost of capital, thus maximizes the overall stock price of the company and the shareholders’ wealth. The NPV of the company is higher under the equity financing option JetBlue, as any airline company has a debt to equity ratio of 61.21% and incurs very high fixed costs as a result of high value operating property and equipment. An equity offering would increase the financial flexibility of the company. The company has a very high operating leverage as a result of variability in fuel price. This exposes the company to the risk of cash flow projections errors in case it does not meet the projected revenues figures. Any variation in the estimated revenues, might lead the company to a position where it could not meet its financial obligations related to debt. From this point of view, JetBlue needs to secure its cash flows. This can be achieved using equity financing. The lending rate to a business varies directly with the risk associated with any given financial structure which can be accessed by leverage analysis. Issuing equity will reduce the leverage of business and reduce lending rate. PART C Other financing option I would like to recommend to the board and John Owen are; JetBlue can consider some other alternatives as well. Indeed, the company can issue some preferred stock. This stock might be considered as equity in accounting, to strengthen the balance sheet of the company, but will at the same time accommodate the board members’ concern about dilution. Another alternative might be the issuance of simple corporate bonds. The coupon rate for those will however be higher than the 3.5% of the convertible bonds. This option will thus cost more for JetBlue than convertible bonds QUESTION 4 PART A Aviation fuel cost is the second largest operating cost in the airline industry after payroll, this has significant impact on operating and financing risks of a company. IMPACT ON OPERATING RISK: In 2002, JetBlue’s fuel cost amounted to $76 million or 14.4% of operating cost. In the event that fuel prices rises, there will be a significant drop in operating income and higher exposure to operating risk (risk created by operating leverage). Operating leverage is the magnification of the top half of the income statement, it measures how EBIT changes in response to changes  in sale, and the relevant cost is the fixed cost of operating the business. It is expected that as operating leverage increase due to jet fuel increase, the operating risk of the business likewise increases. IMPACT ON FINANCING RISK In the event that jet fuel rises, it is expected that operating profit will drop and operating leverage would increase. This will also hurt JetBlue’s ability to meet the additional debt service payment i.e. it may face risk of default or potential financial loss which is known as financial risk. Financing risk is the risk associated with financing and its created by financial leverage. Financial leverage is the magnification of the bottom half of the income statement, it measures how EPS (earnings per share) changes in response to changes in sale, and the relevant cost is the fixed cost of financing, in particular interest. PART B The operating and financing risk exposure of JetBlue through rising fuel price of JetBlue has being managed in the past through hedging 75% of its fuel using a combination of CALL OPTIONS, SWAPS AND COLLARS hedging instrument. PART C HEDGING: Fuel hedging is a contractual tool some large fuel consuming companies such as airlines (JetBlue) use to reduce their expose to volatile and potentially rising fuel cost. A fuel hedge contract allows a large fuel consuming company to lock in the cost of future fuel purchase, allowing an increasing number of airlines to avoid surprises from unforeseen cost fluctuations. The hedging could be done via a commodity swap or option. One of the basic reasons why a company enters into hedging contract is to mitigate their exposure to future fuel prices that may be higher than current prices and/or  to establish a known fuel cost for budgeting and predictability of earnings. PRINCIPAL WAYS JETBLUE HAS BEING USING HEDGING TO MANAGE FUEL PRICING RISK: Jetblue is a small airline which had less leverage in procuring large volume of jet fuel in order to mitigate risk of volatility or shortage of jet fuel. In order to mitigate fuel pricing risk, Jetblue used a combination of fuel call option, swaps and collars hedging instrument. From time to time Jetblue has simply bought call options which tend to be at least $5 per barrel. HOW THE HEDGING INSTRUMENT WORKS The hedging instrument mostly used by JetBlue is the call option. CALL OPTION: This is a financial contract between two parties, the buyer and the seller of this type of option. The buyer of the option has the right but not the obligation to buy an agreed quantity of a particular commodity (jet fuel) from the seller of the option at a certain time (the expiration date for European call option or at any time during the life of the option for American call option) for a certain price (the strike price). The seller is obligated to sell the commodity (jet fuel) or financial instrument should the buyer so decide. The buyer pays a fee called a premium for this right. In the case JetBlue, the premium it pays is at least $5 per barrel. SWAPS: Swaps are tailor made futures contract whereby an airline exchanges payment at a future date (which can be in jet aviation fuel and could be further into the future into the future than possible through commodity exchanges), based on the fuel or oil price. There could be an arrangement with a supplier such as Air BP. The airline would buy a swap for a period of say one year at a certain strike price for a specified amount of jet fuel per month. The average price for that month is then compared with the strike price, and if it exceeds it the counter-party would pay the airline the difference times the amount of fuel. However, if it were lower, then the airline would pay the difference. They lock in a given price, as with forward contacts. COLLARS: This is a combination of a call and a put option. The call protects the holder from adverse price increases above its strike price, at a cost of the option premium that would be paid in any event. The holder of this call also writes a put option that limits the advantage it can take of price reduction below its strike price. The total cost of taking the two options is the call option premium paid less the put option premium received. A collar limits the speculative risk to a small range of price moves and locks in the price that will be paid for fuel between two known values.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Local substance abuse: Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia Council on Abuse impact study states that 50% of all homicides and 62% of assaults is associated with substance abuse. Georgia’s population of 369,393 in 2003 statistics showed that 32.1% was composed by White and 59.3% by Black African American. In 2004 Atlanta was reported to have 151 homicides. 18% of aids in Atlanta were also found to be related to injection users. Substance abuse is defined to be the excessive use of a substance such as drugs, tobacco or cigarettes and alcohol for mood altering purposes. The profile of substance abuse in Atlanta seems to scare the national strategy on drug control. The third principle referring to disrupting the market may not be able to effectively invade the already ongoing drug war in the vicinity. I think there is a cross country need to look into the problem of intergenerational healing of families in Atlanta than just mean policies and intervention. Users of drug Methamphetamine (Meth), being readily available in Atlanta nightclubs, ranges from ages 13-30, White. Atlanta is defined to be the drug smuggling corridor of the east coast being the largest city in the South. Being the center for all East-West and North-South travel, it became a haven for most Mexican-based traffickers. Atlanta’s strategic location made it Georgia’s largest source of supply of Meth coming from Mexico, California, or Texas, from the lairs of Europe in transit for distribution to other states market. (ONDCP 2005). The Meth epidemic in Atlanta poses significant effect to socio cultural factors, state policy and programs for intervention. Atlanta is presently a major distribution hub for the crystal rock form of Meth commonly called as Mexican ice. The impact of the substance abuse epidemic on tobacco, alcohol, cocaine and other illegal drugs among infants delivered by users has significantly impede the quality of life in Georgia’s future generation being a recourse for open-air drug markets. Their quality of life is pretty disturbing to note that first use of drugs was reported to start as young as 12 years old due to parental permissiveness on drug use. Studies showed that parents were even underwriting keg parties for teenagers. This was their unique experimentation and response to providing safe drug alternatives among teenagers. This will also lessen potential dangers brought by drinking and driving. Somehow Georgia legislature in 1997 implementing stiffer penalties to teenagers driving while impaired by alcohol consumption has even increased the population for substance abusers in an unknowingly different way and at an unknowingly different rate. It was seen that parents who initiated such keg parties are the ones who grew up from a generation of high drug used. To illustrate more on the problem of substance abuse, the University of Georgia is now even planning to send creepy emails to all of its college students regarding the effects of Meth. The intensity of substance abuse and the insensitivity of the parents with diverse ethnic origins to adopt a new life from the neighborhood they knew were quite amazing and does coexist with the rampant drug trafficking Atlanta scenario. Interventions come in diverse approaches according to the needs of the individual and the situation of the state itself. Since 2000 Atlanta has been delving on the aid of local television advertisements regarding the harmful effects of drugs. A centralized phone number is then provided where calls were then referred to the appropriate centers or programs the caller needs according to the intensity of the abuse. The selection of drug rehab treatment and facility is ultimately based and tailor made depending on the choice of the patient. Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) were the ones collecting data on different States for monitoring. TEDS provides information on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics based on annual admissions while N-SSATS provides data based on the location, characteristics and use of treatment facilities and services. TEDS is admission based and does not have the appropriate technology to monitor such admission based on the individual. It can count on an individual twice if it will be admitted twice in a row at that period of study. Knowing that substance abuse patient’s characteristics come and go from admissions to outpatients, the population generated by its study does not represent the true value of the population and is thereby misleading. TEDS is not capable of following an individual in their treatment episodes due to the confidentiality of assigning a unique ID identifier at State level. There is one big probability that the number of admissions population that was gathered by TEDS could mean the number of treatments an individual had not to mention cases of subsequent transfers done to different service types for a single treatment program. Promptness of reports also matters since late reports for that period will be integrated with the next period’s report. States continually review TEDS data and revisions may occur at any given time during the review even for a period of five years. N-SSATS on the other hand collects data from all known treatment facilities in voluntary form. The term voluntary itself would mean incomplete information.   (SAMHSA 2005). The local and national reports could well differ in terms of the population. Statistics is vital for use in the treatment and intervention programs that will be created by ONCDP for Atlanta. The unique ID identifier made by the State is good enough to track the substance abuse patient’s admissions and transfers. The report system of the facilities and the government is not integrated and does not support each other. The structure of their IT must be studied and immediately remedied to achieve appropriate data to be able to create appropriate measures for substance abuse control. References ONDCP. (2005). Atlanta, Georgia: Profile of drug indicators February 2005. Retrieved April 13, 2007 SAMHSA. (2005). Treatment Episode Data Sets (TEDS) and National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS). Quick statistics from the drug and alcohol services information system. Retrieved April 14, 2007 Website: http://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/tedsweb/tab_year.choose_year?t_state=GA       Â